BOW-Heads and a Boy

If you have daughters, then you know how much fun it is, to get them all dolled up and make them feel special. My girls have been picky about the clothes they wear from an early age. It's so funny the way that happens. It's like a female instinct to want to match. Thanks to a super sweet friend of mine, taught me how to make bows a couple years ago. Since we have three girls this has turned out to be a wonderful thing. If you buy all your bows at the mall, you know how expensive they are. Think of that times three every time you buy a bow. You could go broke just putting together one outfit. Making hair bows is now one of my favorite hobbies. The girls always feel pretty when they have bows in their hair. Today the girls are wearing some of my most recent bow designs.

Watermelon Bow

Fall Bow

I Have "FALL"en In Love

Signs of Fall are here in Texas. I love this time of year! The weather is beautiful! Cool days and even cooler nights! We have had a lot of rainy days lately, which I love. I love this sort of weather. I love cloudy fall days that are crisp and make me want to make apple crisp and homemade chili. Do you know what I am talking about? The smells are wonderful. I love driving down the road and seeing pumpkins and scarecrows and all the fall colors. I just absolutely love this time of year...I just wish it would last longer.

Here are some pictures of the Quads that were taken yesterday. We pulled these dresses out from the back of their closets. And they even had to wear a sweater over them so they would not get chilly. A perfect fall morning.

Do our kids have a blood clotting disorder? *UPDATE BELOW

That is the question. (In case you don't know, I have a blood clotting disorder called Protein S Deficiency).

"Protein S Deficiency (PSD) is a rare blood disorder that affects just a few thousand people worldwide. It is one of several known risk factors for thrombophilia and can increase the risk of blood clots such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE)."

Since the kids had their last doctor checkup the pediatrician has been doing some research and talking to some other doctors. He called today and told me that it is very important for us to get all the kids tested for this blood disorder. The doctor says there is a 50% chance that they have it. It is a genetic disorder. The doctor is going to be contacting my hematologist and speaking with him to make sure they do all the right tests. When he calls back they will set up some time to bring the kids in to draw blood on each one so they can run this test. Of course we are praying that none of the kids have this blood disorder. I would hate for any of our children to have to go through even one ounce of what I have been through with this deficiency. The doctor said that typically it stays silent during the younger years and the older you get the more likely it is to cause harm.

**UPDATE: The pediatrician and my hematologist both spoke over the situation and have decided the appropriate tests to be done. Once we can get all the orders in our hands we will be able to set up a time for all five to go by the Children's Hospital for the testing.

GO BIG ORANGE!!

I realized one of the most important day's of Brown Bear Week was forgotten. How could I forget to post pics from Orange day?! After all, this family roots for the TN VOLS! GO BIG ORANGE!! Here are the quads right before school. Don't they all look so cute? If you can't tell recently, Sam has become quite fond of having her picture taken. She is always ready with her smile and putting her arms around others posing. So cute! I love it!! It's funny too, because when Logan is not around, it's like Sam is the ring leader. All of a sudden she becomes the one in charge and tells the others what to do, or the way it is going to be.

That evening I caught a moment with Donny holding Sam and I had to take a picture. The lighting was really bad, and there was a bad glare, but I still love the picture of them two.

Of course Daddy got some tickles out of Sam. That's a daily Daddy thing. No matter the day, good or bad, each child gets some tickle time with Daddy. I love watching it! I love hearing it! Especially when Maddy is the one getting the tickles. That girl can laugh like no other. I can be having the worst day, but to hear Madison and her famous giggle, you cannot help but smile. It's pretty awesome when I think about things like this, and the little ins and outs of our children's personalities right now, a part of me can see into the future, a picture of them and what they will be like as they get older. The way they will act, interact and react. The kind of friend they will be to others. The kind of student they will be. The kind of teenager they will be. These are the fun and wonderful things we can and get to think about. We don't need to worry about what we are going to do when all the kids need braces, or figuring out how to manage the schedules and costs when all five children are interested in different sports or hobbies. We get to make the most the way things are now, the amazingly different and special children that we have, and all the many ways that they bless our lives each day.

And here's Sam for a close up...

I downloaded a new program the other day, so I was playing around with it and here is the result.

Dressed To Impress

Today was picture day at school! So the kids got all dressed up today. The girls were so beautiful and Hudson and Logan were very handsome. (Here are some pics of the quads before school. I know our pictures have been lacking Logan recently. Just hard to get pics of him since he goes to school so much earlier. I'll try to get some of Logan soon.)

Hudson snuck outside with his little Tiger. He loves that animal so much!

Isn't this so precious??!

We Got the Blues!

The Quads were all dressed in blue last week, to take part in Blue day. Learning about colors is so much fun! They have enjoyed picking out clothes for each day.

Another day in Dixonville...

The quads are doing very well this year in school so far. Just remembering and thinking back to the last few months and now...it's crazy how far they have come. Each one of them has come so far in their communication skills. Even Hudson in the last month has taken leap and bounds forward. Speaking of the Hud man, he has done amazingly well learning to walk with his leg/foot brace.

Dr. Seuss, Here We Are!!!

Everyday this week the quads are learning about a different color at school. To help them learn each day they were to wear the color of the day. Here are the quads sporting their Dr. Seuss shirts for RED day. In order of birth, they are represented. Hudson is thing 1, Madison is thing 2, Candice is thing 3 and Samantha is thing 4.

There is no doubt that they get tons of attention when they wear these shirts. I think they should make a book cover, don't you?! Hehe!

Huddy Got His Special Bracelet!!

Hudson had a great appointment at the orthopedic doctor yesterday. He got his leg brace, and it fits perfect! He was such a trooper and did so well wearing it all day, and did not complain. We are so proud of you Huddy! We tried to make it a very special thing, so we told him and his siblings that it is his special bracelet he gets to wear. Of course, the girls are all wanting to know when they are going to get one. Haha! :) I can already tell it is going to be a huge help in his walking and running! Yeppie! 

The Dixon Quadruplets & Big Brother

The kids have been having a great summer! I took these pics of the kids a while back but never posted any of them here. Check out those t-shirts that Daddy found while he was on business trip in Florida! It always get peoples attention when we take the quads out in these shirts. They are too cute!!

What's up with Hudson?

Last week we had a long awaited appointment for Hudson with the orthopedic specialist. You may have hears about the not so great experience we encountered from the doctor who was less than professional, or have seen some remarks I made about it on Facebook.  But despite all that, we did actually get some actual diagnosis and reasons to explain the issues that he does have. The layman's terms of it, Hud's left leg is shorter than his right leg because his his brain is not telling his leg to grow at the same rate due to his grade 4 brain bleed at birth. Also, his hip turns out when he walks. We did get an official diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

"Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders characterized by loss of movement or nerve functions. Cerebral refers to brain and palsy to weakness or poor control of muscles. Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development during fetal development or by injuries to the brain from birth through the first three years of life.

A person with cerebral palsy can have mild to severe physical disabilities. Some people have only a slight limp or an uncoordinated walk. Others have little or no control over their arms and legs or other body part."

So that just confirms what we already thought. He has some issues with the use of his left arm/hand, which we are told there's nothing he can do now, that he's not already doing, besides trying to find an interest that would require him to use his arms like martial arts, dance, playing an instrument. To help with his leg issues, he is going to be put back in a orthopedic brace. 

"For children with cerebral palsy, muscles do not grow fast enough to keep pace with lengthening bones. The resulting contracture can disrupt balance and trigger loss of abilities. Special braces (orthodox devices) combined with physical therapy and other interventions may prevent this complication by stretching spastic muscles."

This time, this one he may need for years to come, or possibly the rest of his life. But hey, we aren't going there, cause this boy has come leaps and bounds. Who knows what amazing things God has in store for this precious little boy. Anyone who knows him, knows what a happy, sweet, loving boy that he is. He just loves life, loves to laugh, and loves to love!

Quality Time!

Several months ago I made a choice to spend more quality time with our children. Sure, I'm a stay at home mom so I'm almost always with them, but so many days it's just routine and I want it to be special. I tend to get wrapped up with all the housework and things I want to do and accomplish and I forget some of the best times are unplanned times. I want my kids to know that they are loved and cared for by their mommy and daddy!! So, Donny and decided to start having special time with the kids individually or one take the girls and one take the boys. These times have been wonderful! 

We have five incredible kids!! They are so silly and make me giggle. There are only few years I can enjoy this time of their lives and I want to make the best of it. My health is still not the greatest, I've had a couple surgeries since I last blogged and several hospital stays, and there's no way for me to know how I will feel from one day to the next. But I do know I want to spend time with my kids and share things and moments they will always remember while I have a chance to do so.

I know I'm way behind on updates and so much has happened...Stay tuned to hear some updates on what the Dixon's are up to now.

One More Piece To The Puzzle

As many of you have heard, we received a unofficial diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy for our son Hudson. This really came as no surprise to me, seeing that I have thought this was the case for years. Just based on watching Hudson, my own personal research on Cerebral Palsy and what doctors have said in the past. Granted no one has wanted to label him like that. Maybe thinking it would cause fear in us as parents or just to keep from the worry. Or just plan because no one really fully understands this diagnosis and what it could mean for the child. Seeing that each and every child has different types, and degrees of CP, it can be complicating to diagnose.

The recommended action for a child with Cerebral Palsy can and will vary a great deal as "Cerebral Palsy" is used to diagnose a vast range of problems having to do with brain damage/trauma. We do not know what exactly the future holds, but then who does? All having a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis means is that we now have answers as to why Hudson did and does certain things. It means sometime his brain experienced trauma; in his case it was a grade IV brain bleed a few days after he was born. It means the control he has over his muscles isn't the same as what you and I may have. It means some things are harder for him to do. It means he may need help doing things that others take for granted. There’s no clear cut answer to how this will indeed effect him as he gets older. We do know that Cerebral Palsy never gets worse. You just notice other things with age. After the brain bleed, we were told Hud would prob not survive. And he did! Then later we were told he may never walk, and he walks! Hud is an amazing kid! He’s a handsome, sweet, caring little boy with the greatest smile.

For many, getting a diagnosis may mean the start of some serious life changing things, (possibly among them Occupational, Speech, Physical, Surgery, Medications, etc.) In his case he has already been receiving occupational, speech and physical therapy since birth, and has had heal toe cord surgery as well. We are doing everything we can to get him the help and or assistance that he needs to be the wonderful boy that he is. We will see what is to come. I can only see a bright future ahead of him. We can only live each day to the fullest, and keep track of anything that is out of the ordinary. We also need to be the best parent advocates we can be; our children need us. Talk with each other and share our stories. We will get through this. We just have to stay strong and be there for each other.

"God only gives us things he knows we can cope with. We may stumble and fall but we will get there in the end"

Kuddos To The Kiddos!

The Quads have and continue to enjoy there three hours of school Monday-Friday. They have come so far. It is amazing! The other day we got progress reports/evaluations of them in regards to there speech therapy. They all were said to of mastered 70% of almost every goal and step stone that was tested. Except for one, that they all received 80% on, in regards to recognizing names of things, people, etc.

Hudson is the only one receiving physical therapy now, and he scored 50% on each goal. Although, he continues to do well and plays well with the others and can keep his own, he does continue to have a consistent difficulty physically because he is not able to use his left arm/hand normally, and though his leg is much better since his heal toe cord surgery, it is still not normal. Not that it needs to be or ever will be, but of course as his parents, we want to do whatever we can for all of our kids to have the best possible life they can have. So we are looking into other options and seeking other opinions of what is the best plan of action to help him along, as much as we can.

Holly Jolly Christmas From The Dixon's

Make a Smilebox postcard

O Christmas Tree

The day after Thanksgiving, we made our annual trip up to the Christmas tree farm (a family tradition) to cut down a Christmas tree. This year, Nana, Pops, Uncle Doug & Aunt Rachel all joined us for this fun adventure. The kids had a blast and were able to enjoy it to the fullest this year. What a fun day...and we only got rained on a little bit. Below is a scrapbook of som of our day. Click on it and enjoy!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

PINK EYE!!!!!!!

Hudson and Candice had to stay home from school today. Instead, they got to take a trip to the doctor to get an official diagnosis and meds. Pink eye it is. Or bacterial conjunctivitis for a better medical term. Not that I did not know what was coming...but needed the prescriptions so we can get them better. And hopefully before they spread the love to the other kids. The doctor was nice enough to give me extra, just in case one or more of the other kiddos started showing symptoms. Usually, they are less kind about this sort of thing, and want them to come in as well, but today this doctor decided to have a heart for this mommyofmultiples. Apparently, everyone thought I had my hands full this morning with the two of them. Comment after comment was made to that affect. I almost wanted to laugh. This was a walk in the park. If they only knew, I had three more at home. Most assumed they were twins. So for a brief moment in time having twins felt like a piece of cake! (For all you twin moms out there, I'm just joking around, we all have our own battles and struggles, no matter if we have twins, triplets or quads. Just as do the moms of singletons! I love you all, and keep on keeping on!!)

Four M&M's and A SuperLogan!!

What a fun and colorful Halloween it was! As you can see from the pictures, Samantha, Candice, Madison, and Hudson were everyones favorite Halloween treat...How can you not love these M&M's?! Who needs real candy when you have these cuties! The night would not have been complete without Super Logan, our own little superhero! His cape was flying last night, as he ran from house to house with the BIG kids! He was right at home.

This was the Quads first year to go trick or treating. Who knows what they were thinking, but Sam and Maddy sure got the hang of it quickly. Sam was keeping up with the big boys. Hud and Candi were not so sure about what to do but were having fun walking around, seeing all the decorations and getting candy. Apparently, Hudson likes skittles like his daddy, cause at one house he stuck around as the others ran off, and kept going back for more skittles. Like father, like son!

Madison our silly little Green M&M!

Sam, our little red bull, energizer M&M. And Candi, our sweet little yellow M&M.

Do they look like sisters, or what?! Gotta love these M&M's!

Hud, our handsome little blue M&M!





And Don't forget Logan, OUR REAL American Hero!!! SUPER LOGAN to the rescue!!!

Da BOYS!!! Keeping It Real In the Neighborhood!

Time to go trick or treating. Check ya later!